


Highways and Byways

by noelleleithe



Series: Route 66 [2]
Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-04
Updated: 2013-01-04
Packaged: 2017-11-23 13:51:35
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,871
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/622878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noelleleithe/pseuds/noelleleithe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>One brief encounter with Noah had already spoiled him for other men, a thought that made him smile into their kiss.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Highways and Byways

It was stupid. He _knew_ it was stupid.

And yet here he sat, in a parking lot on the outskirts of Waynesville, Missouri, staring at the front of a small auto repair shop a quarter of a mile down the road.

He could just make out the entrances to the service bays, both standing open with cars inside. Someone moved around the front end of the building, and his heart beat faster for a few seconds before he realized it wasn't him. Too short, not slim enough, hair too light.

Luke sighed and let his head drop back against the seat. For the first couple of months after spring break, he'd been fine with everything that happened. Memories would hit him randomly, and he'd smile, or a few times get so suddenly horny that he had to find privacy and find it fast. Either way, thinking back on his brief time with Noah made him happy, and that was just fine.

Then he graduated, and started a summer internship with his best friend Maddie, and started sort of dating the third intern. Roth was a great guy, cute and funny, and obviously interested in Luke. Maddie was thrilled. But when Luke kissed Roth after their second sort-of date (did getting coffee after work with Maddie and then Roth driving him home count as a date?), it was … unsatisfying. Nice, but without much passion or finesse. Nothing like kissing Noah had been.

And that started Luke thinking, always a dangerous thing.

He had a long weekend off for the Fourth of July, so he told his parents he wanted to revisit a little of his spring trip and headed south and west. He made it to Waynesville in one day—one very long day—and checked into a hotel. A room with a king-sized bed. Luke fought off a blush when he stashed the supplies he'd picked up in one of the bedside tables. Optimism warred with hesitancy. He knew what he wanted. He just wasn't sure he'd be able to follow through with it. And that assumed he found Noah in the first place, not to mention that he'd be willing.

The repair shop was all Luke had to go on. He'd tried the internet, but he knew almost nothing. Noah's dad was an Army colonel stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, and Noah worked at Griner's Auto Repair in Waynesville and drove a late-model F-150. Luke didn't have so much as a last name to work with. That had been romantic and exciting in the spring. Now, it was frustrating as hell. Calling Griner's hadn't really been an option. What would he say? "Hi, I had the most erotic encounter of my life with one of your employees, and I wondered if you could give me his phone number?"

Luke's fingers beat out a random pattern on the steering wheel. He bit his lip, considering. He could drive down to Griner's, and if Noah wasn't there, he could ask Mr. Griner about him, say he was just passing through and wanted to say hi, say thanks again for his help. He could handle that. Mr. Griner had no reason to suspect anything, did he?

He couldn't make himself start the car.

His heart pounded. Sweat ran down his neck from the summer heat. His vision blurred from staring at the auto shop so hard.

And then out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of silver.

A truck drove by. And not just any truck. An F-150. With a toolbox in the back, and a tall, dark-haired man driving. Turning into the front of Griner's.

Luke's hands shook. Everything flooded back, the heat of Noah's mouth, the warmth of his skin, the brightness of his smile, the blue of his eyes. His body throbbed. His dick could cut glass.

He didn't remember starting the car, driving the quarter-mile, pulling into Griner's. The next thing he knew, he was sitting in front of the building, staring out the windshield at Noah, who stared back at him with wide, shocked eyes.

Luke sucked in a breath and blew it out, trying to calm down enough that he wouldn't made a total spectacle of himself. He turned off the engine and pushed the door open, climbing slowly out of the car, never taking his eyes off Noah.

"Hi," he said. He had no idea what to say next.

"Hi," Noah replied, after a moment. "I ... um. What are you …?"

Luke shrugged, shoving both hands into his jean pockets. Noah's gaze dropped away from his, following his movements, before snapping back, blue several shades darker.

"I just … wanted to see you," Luke said. "I mean, I know it's stupid. I feel pretty stupid just showing up like this. But I didn't really have any way to find you, and I just … needed to."

Noah stared at him a few moments longer, but before he could say anything else, a loud noise from inside the service bay made them both jump.

Noah swallowed. "I … um. Just came to pick up my paycheck. Can you … let me do that and then we can … talk."

Luke nodded quickly. "I'll be here."

Noah drew his gaze away slowly. Reluctantly, Luke hoped. He smiled a little and Noah finally finished his turn, walking the few feet to the door of the office, disappearing inside.

Luke leaned against his car and tried to calm his racing heart. He didn't really know what to do now. Invite him to lunch? Take him straight back to his room? What did he really want here?

Well. Other than _that_.

The door to the office opened again, and Noah came out, giving him a small, tentative smile and waving an envelope. "Got it," he said, unnecessarily. "So. Do you want to …?"

"Why don't we go somewhere for lunch?" Luke broke in. "Just, um, talk a little?"

Noah hesitated again before nodding. "Okay," he said. "You like burgers? Not vegetarian or anything?"

Luke laughed. "Not even close."

Noah smiled. "There's a place called the West Side Café back up in town," he said. "Awesome burgers and fries, homemade pie for dessert. That work?"

"Sounds amazing." Luke glanced between the car and the truck. "Um, should I just follow you?"

Noah tilted his head, giving him a curious look, like a puzzle he couldn't quite figure out. "Are you … did you drive down … when did you get here?"

Luke felt himself flush. "Last night," he said. "I stayed at the Candlewood."

Noah nodded slowly. "The café's just a few blocks from there," he said. "It'll be on the right."

He hesitated again before shooting Luke one more quick, if small, smile and ducking his head a little as he headed toward his truck. Luke watched him go until he was climbing in, then shook himself and jumped into his own car, starting it up and waiting for Noah to head out.

Luke didn't see much of anything as he drove other than the tailgate of the truck ahead of him. He didn't really care. He hadn't come to Waynesville to sightsee.

The café was mostly empty, but then, it was barely after eleven on a Friday morning, smack dab between breakfast and lunch rushes. Noah nodded toward a booth off to the side, a little separate from the rest. "It's seat yourself when it's not busy," he said, and Luke nodded, following Noah over and sliding into the bench seat across from him.

A waitress bustled over and set down menus and napkin-wrapped silverware in front of each of them. "What can I get you boys to drink?" she said, smiling warmly.

Noah smiled back. "Sweet tea, please," he said. He looked at Luke. "Luke?"

Luke shifted in his seat. "Um, Coke, I guess?" 

The waitress smiled and nodded. "Be right back with those," she said as she turned away.

Noah pushed the menu to the side. "Been here way too many times," he said. "I always get a bacon cheeseburger, loaded, with fries."

Luke grinned and nodded. "Sounds great." He paused and decided to go for it. "Might want to skip the onions."

Noah's eyes darkened again. "Yeah," he said, his voice deeper. "Sounds like a plan."

They looked at each other for another few moments until the waitress came back with their drinks. She smiled as she set them down and pulled out an order pad and pencil. "You boys decided?"

"Two bacon cheeseburgers, loaded, no onion," Noah said, holding Luke's gaze. "Fries. Extra ketchup." He finally looked away from Luke and smiled up at her. "Thanks."

The waitress smiled back. "I'll get that up for you real quick," she said, shooting Luke a smile, too, before heading back toward the kitchen again.

Noah returned his gaze to Luke. "So," he said, in a conversational tone. "Have to say, you're about the last person I expected to see here."

Luke fidgeted, reaching for his silverware, unwrapping it, anything to keep his hands busy. "I hope it's okay," he said softly. "I don't want to cause any trouble or anything."

Noah didn't seem to react, but then Luke felt a gentle pressure against his foot. Noah's foot slid down the inside of his and stopped there, touching Luke's, clearly a deliberate move.

"No trouble." Noah's voice and eyes were soft. "I'm glad you're here."

Luke tried to bite back a smile but couldn't quite manage it. "I'm glad I'm here too," he said, just as softly.

They just sat there smiling at each other for a few moments before Luke shifted in his seat. "So, um, is it okay … do you want to, like, talk some? I mean, I don't even know your last name." He laughed. "Would've been easier to find you if I had."

Noah grinned. "Yeah, I mean, I thought about trying it myself," he admitted. "But I didn't even know where you lived. You had Illinois tags, but that wasn't much to go by."

Luke shrugged and leaned forward, folding his arms on the tabletop. "I liked it that way back then," he said, keeping his voice low. "It just … it made it all more … I don't know, romantic I guess. Not like romance-novel romantic, but like some kind of idealistic fantasy. A moment out of time."

Noah was nodding. "Yeah," he said. "Like saying anything would've broken the spell." Luke nodded, too, but then Noah frowned. "So what changed? Why did you …?" He waved a hand between them, as if he couldn't quite figure out how to phrase it.

Luke's gaze dropped to the tabletop. "I … there was this guy," he said, haltingly. "We went out a few times. But it wasn't …" He blew out a breath and lifted his gaze back up to meet Noah's. "I've spent so much time with him. We've been working together for over a month. And it just wasn't there. Not like it was with you. And I was only with you for a few hours."

A faint blush of pink appeared over Noah's sculpted cheekbones. Luke's eyes were drawn to the color, just like the rest of him was drawn to all of Noah. "I… yeah," Noah said. The blush deepened and he smiled a little. "Sorry. I'm … not that good with words."

Luke grinned at that. "Well, I'm a writer and a chatterbox," he said, eyes focusing now on Noah's mouth, where he was biting a little on the side of his lip. "So I think I have things covered on that front."

Noah's hand moved an inch or so toward Luke's across the table, and Luke's heart sped up a little in response. They really couldn't be obvious here. It was small-town middle America next to an Army base, and while Luke could always go home, Noah had to live here.

For now, anyway. Luke wondered … "Didn't you say you were a senior?" he asked. Noah's gaze jumped up to meet his, and Luke smothered a smile at the realization that he hadn't been the only one focusing on lips. "I mean, didn't you graduate? What are your plans now?"

Noah's shoulders stiffened, and Luke regretted asking. But it was out there now. "My dad…" Noah trailed off, fiddling with his fork. "Dad's still trying to get me to enlist."

Luke's eyes widened. "That doesn't exactly fit what you said you had in mind."

"Not even close." Noah half smiled. "I want to go to film school. Had an internship at a TV station all lined up. But Dad wouldn't hear about it." He shrugged. "I haven't been able to figure out what to do."

Luke's hands itched to touch Noah, not in a sexual way (well, not entirely) but just to comfort him. He looked like he needed the biggest hug in the world, and Luke was used to giving and getting them without a thought. But he couldn't, and that made him want to even more.

"Noah." Luke waited until Noah's gaze met his. "You're eighteen, right?" Noah nodded once, slowly, looking puzzled. "Then you know you don't have to do what he says any more, right? You're an adult. He can't force you."

Noah bit his lip again, and Luke swallowed back the urge to lean over and  do it for him. "I don't—" He shrugged. "I wouldn't know where to start. He's all I have, you know?"

Luke didn't know, really. He didn't know much about Noah at all. But he did know Noah was more than this, more than whatever mold his father wanted to shove him into. It didn't matter that they'd spent so little time together. Luke knew _Noah_. Who he was, not what he did.

But he didn't want either of them to have to think about things like that, not now. Not when Luke didn't know how much time they'd have together.

He grinned. "So what is there to do in this one-horse town, other than eat amazing burgers?" He took a sip of his Coke, looking at Noah over the rim of the glass. Noah smiled, slowly, and Luke was glad.

"Not much." Noah leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. "There's a movie theater, and some really good fishing spots, and a few parks around with some hiking trails. And if you like antiquing, well, this is the place to be." His smile widened. "Pretty much typical small town, I guess."

Before Luke could reply, their food arrived, the waitress's arms laden with two large platters. "Here you go, boys," she said, getting the plates onto the table with the ease of long years of practice. She reached into a pocket of her apron and produced a bottle of ketchup and one of mustard, which she set down between them.

"Now you boys just holler if you need anything," she said, giving them both another big smile before turning and heading back toward the counter. Luke and Noah looked at each other and snickered before turning their attention to their food.

Noah hadn't been exaggerating, Luke soon found. The burger was huge and perfect, and he thought it might actually rival Al's, which was saying something. Of course, Al's had the perfect milkshake going for it. He relayed his impressions to Noah, who swallowed a bite and smiled, wiping a smear of grease and mustard off the side of his lip.

"The milkshakes here are really good," he said. "But it's all about the pie. They have about a dozen kinds every day, plus special ones they put out sometimes. Any kind of pie you like, they've probably got it."

Luke grinned. "But do the snozzberries taste like snozzberries?"

Noah almost choked on the tea he was sipping, and Luke snickered as he grabbed a napkin and reached across to wipe up the drops that spilled onto the table. "Sorry," he said. "Probably should've waited until your mouth wasn't full."

Noah's hand came down on top of Luke's, and Luke stopped moving. He lifted his gaze slowly to meet Noah's, dark and liquid. "Luke," he said, his voice low, and Luke felt it all the way to his toes.

Slowly, he turned his hand over under Noah's, thumb rubbing against Noah's skin. "Maybe we should take that pie to go," he murmured, and he watched as Noah's pupils expanded even more.

~~~~

Luke insisted Noah pick the pie, since he liked just about everything and Noah knew which were best, so Noah went to the counter to choose while Luke took care of the lunch check. When Noah came back with a Styrofoam container in his hand, Luke was waiting for him. He nodded toward the door.

"Candlewood," he said softly. "Room 229." Noah nodded, and they headed out to their separate vehicles without another word.

Inside his car, Luke buckled his seat belt and wrapped his hands around the steering wheel. He blew out a sharp breath and started the car, trying not to think about Noah, or the hotel room, or the big king-sized bed, or the condoms and lube in the drawer of the table next to it.

Unsurprisingly, he failed miserably.

The drive took only minutes, and by then Luke felt like he was on fire. He debated trying to hide his erection, but anything he could think of would only end up calling more attention to it. He shrugged and parked by the door at the end nearest the room, watching as Noah's truck pulled in next to him.

They got out at the same time, gazes meeting over the roof of Luke's car and holding for a long moment. Luke wondered idly if his eyes showed the same raw desire as Noah's, but then, he couldn't imagine how they couldn't.

Breaking their gaze, Luke headed for the door, inserting his room key to release the lock. He held the door and waved Noah inside, following close behind. They were in a back hallway, and based on the lack of cars parked outside, Luke was pretty sure the hotel was mostly empty. He took full advantage and reached out for Noah's arm, pulling him in, and turned so his back pressed up against the wall. Lifting up on his toes, heedless of the box of pie Noah still held, Luke opened his mouth over Noah's.

The low moan Noah let out as their tongues met nearly buckled Luke's knees. The faint hint of sweetness from the last of Noah's tea mixed with Noah's own flavor, and Luke never wanted to leave that wet, warm space. Noah wrapped one hand around the back of Luke's neck and held him still while he explored the inside of Luke's mouth, and Luke felt like he would die if he didn't get Noah naked soon.

He got a hand between them, on Noah's chest, which rose and fell rapidly, and Luke could feel the pounding of Noah's heart. He pushed back with all the strength he could muster, which wasn't much, but it got them a few inches apart so Luke could find Noah's eyes. Inky dark and half-lidded, they nearly made Luke forget his resolve and throw Noah down right there on the carpet.

"Upstairs," he gasped out. "God, Noah, _please_."

Noah grabbed for Luke's hand with his free hand, still balancing the pie in the other, and they ran for the stairs. Noah stumbled a few steps up, catching himself, and they both snickered at themselves. They made it upstairs without any further mishaps, and a few seconds later they were standing at Luke's door as he fumbled the keycard out of his wallet and _thank God thank God_ got the lock open on the first try.

The pie container ended up on the bathroom counter, the closest flat surface, because as soon as the door was closed and locked behind them, they were all over each other. Almost no words were exchanged, their mouths too busy getting fully reacquainted as their hands pushed at shirts, unbuckled belts. Luke didn't know where their shoes ended up, just that by the time they reached the bed, they were down to socks and jeans, zippers open, each with a hand inside, cupping over hardness. Luke broke away from Noah's mouth, with a great deal of effort, and looked up at him.

"Noah," he gasped out, his fingers squeezing lightly. "Please. Will you fuck me?"

It sounded stupid to him when he said it out loud, but it must have worked for Noah, because he was kissing Luke again, one hand spread wide on his back, the other stretched out toward the mattress as he lowered them both onto the bed. Luke ended up lying flat with Noah half on top of him, their legs still hanging off the side, but he didn't want to stop kissing Noah even to get them undressed and onto the bed. 

He'd missed this so damn much, the sweet _rightness_ of Noah against him, so many worlds away from the few awkward embraces he'd shared with Roth. One brief encounter with Noah had already spoiled him for other men, a thought that made him smile into their kiss. Noah smiled automatically in response, drawing back to look down at Luke, one hand coming up to brush his hair back off his forehead.

"What's so funny?" he asked, and Luke laughed a little.

"I was just thinking," he said. "For two people who really don't have much idea what we're doing, we've been doing a pretty good job so far."

Noah grinned at him. "We're two people who really don't have much idea what we're doing," he said. "How would we know?"

Luke snickered and reached up to pull Noah's mouth back down. "I think we can figure that much out," he murmured just before their lips met.

They interspersed kisses with getting rid of the last of their clothes and getting themselves all the way onto the bed. Luke wanted to take time to explore, taste Noah's skin, his cock, but the aching need filling his entire consciousness wouldn't allow it. He wrenched himself away and crawled to the side of the mattress, grabbing for the drawer handle and retrieving the supplies he'd stashed there what felt like years earlier.

He turned back to find Noah staring at him wide-eyed, and Luke hesitated for a moment, wondering if he was seeing fear on Noah's face. But if it was, it disappeared, and nothing was left but pure, raw hunger. And everything inside Luke responded.

He rolled onto his back and pulled Noah on top of him, loving the feel of his weight pressing him into the mattress. He'd imagined a million different scenarios in the few short years since he'd figured out what that sex thing was all about—and that it would be guys he'd want to do it with—and he wanted to try pretty much all of them. But now, here with Noah in bed with him, long and lean and bare and beautiful, his secret romantic dreams surfaced, and he wanted simplicity over adventure. Losing his virginity would be adventure enough for today.

He knew instinctively that Noah would follow his lead, and he did, laying himself down over Luke, both of them hissing as their cocks brushed together. Noah rested some of his weight on one hand and brought the other up to run his fingers across Luke's cheek, his eyes half-lidded. One corner of his mouth lifted in a small smile.

"Your cheeks are flushed," he said softly, the tone of wonder in his voice making Luke's heart pound harder in his chest. "Your skin is so… God, Luke, you're so gorgeous."

Luke couldn't help himself then. He wrapped arms and legs around Noah and kissed him hard, thrusting his tongue into Noah's mouth, shivering when Noah moaned, kissing him back just as hard. Luke moved his hips, rolling his body up against Noah's, rubbing their cocks together, and he whimpered into their kiss when Noah jerked and mimicked his move.

Noah pulled away suddenly, gasping. "Luke," he said, desperation in his voice, and Luke nodded quickly.

"Now, Noah," he said, urgent. "I'm ready. Please."

Noah's hand shook when he reached for the tube lying on the bed next to them, and Luke felt a stab of apprehension. They were both so new to all of this, never mind how much reading or watching or imagining they'd done. He tried not to think about how it would probably hurt, tried to remember what everything he'd heard said about how amazing it felt once you pushed past the pain. 

Even with all of the self-assurance, he still stiffened when Noah's slick finger touched his hole. But Noah pulled back immediately, and that just was _not_ going to happen. Luke grabbed for Noah's hand and pushed it back between his legs.

"Don't stop, Noah," he pleaded softly. "I'm okay. I promise. Just… go easy."

Noah's eyes softened from apprehension to an emotion that Luke didn't think he could name, but it didn't matter because Noah's finger was back, circling Luke's hole, pressing gently against the tight opening. Luke concentrated on relaxing and pushed down just a little, like the website he'd read said to do, and his eyes widened almost as much as Noah's when Noah's middle finger slid inside, all the way to his hand.

"Shit." Noah's gaze locked on Luke's. "Is this—"

Luke nodded. "It's good," he said, and it was. It didn't hurt at all. But it was only a finger, not Noah's cock, which Luke tried not to look at directly so he wouldn't think about how big it was. And it was big, and long, and the two fingers Luke had managed to work inside himself a few times seemed like nothing compared to that.

Noah's finger was sliding out then, but before Luke could protest, he was pressing back in with two. Luke felt a small pinch, but it lasted only a second before Noah was back inside, and this time he crooked his fingers up. The movement sent out sparks along all of Luke's nerve endings, and he couldn't stop the loud moan that burst from his mouth.

Noah smiled at him. "I got you," he said, twisting his fingers a little, brushing up against that spot again. Luke knew it was his prostate, and he knew it was supposed to be incredibly sensitive, but he'd never found it on his own, never able to get the angle right, and _God_ , he had no _idea_ it would be like that.

Noah was gone again, but only long enough to add more slick and work those two fingers back inside. When he went for three, it hurt, more than a little pinch but not so much that Luke couldn't breathe through it. He tried not to let it show on his face, but he could tell by the look on Noah's that he wasn't entirely successful. He didn't have to encourage him not to stop, though. Instead, Noah just reached for Luke's cock and started to stroke it lightly, slowly, just enough to help him relax without getting him too close to the edge. That helped a lot. _Really_ a lot.

Luke laughed, a little brokenly. "God, Noah," he said, tilting his head back on a small gasp as Noah brushed his prostate again. He turned his head to the side so he could see Noah's face, which was focused on what he was doing to Luke. "Are you sure you haven't done this before?"

Noah's gaze snapped up to meet Luke's, but he relaxed again immediately, realizing that Luke was only teasing him. "I've always been a fast learner," he said, twisting his fingers inside Luke and running the thumb of his other hand over the tip of Luke's cock. "Plus I have a really, really good incentive."

Luke tried to laugh again, but Noah's talented hands were driving him out of his mind, and all he could do was moan instead. Noah kept it up for what felt like another hour but was probably only a minute or so, and then both hands were gone and Luke looked down to see him ripping into a condom, rolling it over his cock, which looked like a fucking oak tree to Luke right then. Luke closed his eyes for a second and ordered himself to stop being an idiot, and when Noah settled back between his legs and caught his gaze, Luke smiled and nodded.

Noah fumbled for a second getting positioned, and when he pressed against Luke for the first time, Luke had to bite his lip to keep from crying out at the explosion of pain. But it lasted only a few seconds, fading away quickly to a low throbbing as Luke pushed down against Noah and he slid inside. He paused for a second and then moved again, working his way in, Luke concentrating on relaxing every muscle in his entire body, fighting against the urge to tense up as he was stretched open wide. 

By the time Noah's hips met Luke's, they were both trembling from head to toe, and beads of sweat had spread over Noah's forehead. Luke didn't know if that was from nerves or from the effort needed to hold back from going too fast, but he reached out anyway, wiping away the wetness with his thumbs. Noah smiled down at him, eyes so dark they looked like the midnight sky, and Luke ran one thumb over Noah's bottom lip, still red and swollen from their kisses.

"Noah," he whispered, not carrying one bit how cheesy he was about to sound. "Please. Fuck me."

Noah's eyes fluttered shut as he groaned, and he started to move, just rocking gently at first, barely shifting back and forth. But each stroke grew a little longer, a little harder, until Noah was thrusting in hard and fast, breathing hard, eyes locked with Luke's. Luke wanted to turn away from the intensity of that look, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, caught in the moment, the feeling, the whatever-it-was between them.

He lifted one leg, trying to hook it around Noah's waist, but it trembled so much that he couldn't manage it. Noah slowed down a little, though, and reached out to pull it up into place. Luke lifted the other, and Noah shuddered, his hips slowing to a stop as he helped Luke wrap both legs around him. Luke's ankles crossed at the base of Noah's spine, and he laid his hands on Noah's chest, running his palms up and cupping his fingers on either side of Noah's neck. Noah's hands settled onto the mattress on either side of Luke's torso, and Luke pulled Noah's head down as he lifted his own up, bringing their mouths together in a wet, needy kiss.

Breaking away reluctantly, Luke slid his hands back down to grip Noah's biceps and rocked his hips up. "C'mon, Noah," he said, grinning a little at how rough his voice sounded. "Show me what you got."

Noah's lips twitched before curving up into a smile that was the most incredible blend of sweet and sexy Luke had ever seen. His hips shifted, and he slammed forward so hard and so suddenly that Luke gasped from it. He didn't stop, either, pulling out and slamming in again, hitting that spot inside Luke with every thrust, driving him out of his mind in no time flat. Luke couldn't stop moaning, couldn't stop his hands from digging into Noah's arms, trying to get a better grip, trying hold on so he wouldn't fly to pieces. He ended up with his fingers wrapped around Noah's wrists so hard he'd probably leave bruises, but he didn't care. It made him feel grounded somehow, safe, even as his body seemed to be falling apart.

Noah shifted again, leaning a little further forward, and that was oh my GOD _yes_. "Yeahhhhhhhhhhh," Luke said, or something like it, his head tilting back, mouth falling open. His prostate felt like it was on fire, his cock throbbed from the friction of their bodies, his thighs and hands ached. He'd never felt better in his entire life, at least not until about thirty seconds passed and Noah slammed home one last time and fucking _growled_ , and Luke's orgasm blindsided him, hitting him with such force that he literally couldn't breathe. His chest hurt and his head throbbed, and he guessed that Noah was coming, too, but he couldn't really tell anything beyond the feeling of pleasure ripping from one end of his body to the other, stealing what felt like every thought he'd ever had.

His lungs finally unlocked and he gasped for breath, panting like he'd run a marathon. He peeled his eyes open to find Noah hovering maybe two inches above him, his arms trembling with the strain of keeping himself there. Luke wasn't sure he could move, but he tried it and got his hands up around Noah's body, yanking him down. The impact drove his breath out again, and he winced a little as he felt Noah's spent cock slide out of his body, but he didn't give a shit. He wanted the feel of Noah on top of him, both of them sweaty and sticky and still shaking with aftershocks.

As they lay there trying to recover, Luke felt himself smiling. He did it. He had sex, lost his virginity, and he felt okay. A little sore, yeah, but nothing he couldn't handle. Not compared to the amazingness of that orgasm. Holy _shit_. Sex couldn't possibly be like that every time, because why would anyone ever want to do anything else?

"Mmpf mmpf."

Luke supposed that was intended to be a word, maybe two, but considering Noah's face was buried into the pillow right next to Luke's head, it didn't quite make it out that way. "What was that, Noah?"

Noah shifted just far enough to free his mouth. "Hot damn."

Luke laughed out loud. He wrapped his arms tighter around Noah, running his fingertips along his spine, feeling every little bump of his vertebrae. Noah shivered at the touch, so Luke repeated it, slower this time, getting the same reaction. That wasn't the only reaction, either. The joys of being eighteen years old. He could already feel Noah's cock half hard against his thigh, rubbing wet on his skin where the condom had slipped after he'd left Luke's body.

Luke stroked up Noah's back once again, this time dragging his fingernails across the smooth skin. Noah shuddered, and Luke smiled. "I really, really don't want to move," he murmured. "But if we get cleaned up a little, we can come right back here and maybe do a little more than just cuddling."

Noah didn't move for a few long moments, but then he sucked in a breath and lifted his head, those arresting blue eyes staring down at Luke. "We could also get cleaned up together," he pointed out.

Luke giggled. He flushed almost immediately when he realized that he'd actually let out an honest-to-God _giggle_ , of all things, but Noah didn't seem to mind. He just smiled and dipped down to brush his lips over Luke's. Luke kissed him back just as lightly and then pushed at his shoulder.

"Shower," he said. "We'll just play the rest by ear."

~~~~

Luke was, he discovered as the warm water poured down over his body, exhausted. He'd driven hard to get here, had a mostly sleepless night because of his nerves, and then been fucked to within an inch of his sanity. His eyelids drooped, and he leaned against Noah, who didn't seem to be in much better shape, bracing one hand against the smooth wall to keep them both upright.

"Maybe we should think about a nap after this," Noah murmured into Luke's wet hair, and Luke just nodded into Noah's wet chest.

After a cursory cleaning, they dried off and half stumbled back to the bed, crawling together into the side opposite where there was likely to be a wet spot. Noah flopped onto his back and Luke curled over him, leg hooked over Noah's, arm lying across Noah's stomach. He wanted to say something, anything, _thank you_ or _you're amazing_ or _I think I could fall in love with you_ , but sleep caught him before he could.

When he woke, it was dark, not that it had been all that light before, but he was on his side facing the window, and no light snuck around the edges of the curtain. A warm, heavy weight lay across his waist, and a warm, heavy body pressed against his back. He should've had a moment of shock, surprise, maybe even fear, but he didn't. He just felt safe. And happy.

And, okay, horny.

His mind still reeled from how _good_ things had been. All he'd read about how it could hurt and horror stories about bad first times, and everything had gone almost perfectly. He didn't know if it was him, or Noah, but his heart wanted to believe it was the two of them, together.

He decided he'd like to test that theory.

He woke Noah up with a hand on his cock and a tongue in his mouth, and Noah seemed to have absolutely no problem with either of those things. Luke thought about suggesting they trade places, but as much as he loved the idea of being inside Noah, he really wanted to have Noah inside him again, and he didn't know when he might have that chance again. Noah was just as gentle the second time as the first, taking nearly as long to prepare Luke and fucking him slowly and thoroughly, staring into his eyes almost the entire time, even as Luke came, Noah's name on his lips.

They showered again, even more briefly than before, and then they slept again, tangled together in the dark.

~~~~

Luke woke up alone in the bed, but the space next to him was still warm, so he knew Noah hadn't gone far. He heard the toilet flush and realized he needed to take a turn, too, so he pushed off the covers and rolled carefully to his feet, wincing a little as he bent to pick up his underwear. Okay, yeah, he was sore.

"You okay?"

Luke's head jerked up to find Noah standing just outside the bathroom door, his own underwear back on, looking at Luke with an expression halfway between concern and fear. Luke smiled and finished stepping into his boxers, pulling them up as he walked over to Noah. He leaned up and kissed him briefly.

"I'm fine," he said softly. "Yeah, I can feel it. And no, I don't mind that. Not one little bit."

Noah smiled, face soft, and kissed him again, lingering, hands coming up to rest on Luke's hips. When he drew back, though, his eyes were clouded. "When do you have to leave?"

Luke hadn't thought that far ahead, but he knew he couldn't stay long. He had to be back at work the day after tomorrow, at least. He shook his head. "I don't know," he said, rubbing his palms up and down Noah's forearms. "I don't…" He paused. "Let's get dressed," he said, slowly, "and go get something to eat. And we can talk." He grinned for a second."Because if we stay in here, I don't think we're going to get much talking done."

Noah grinned back, although it didn't reach his eyes, and nodded. He kissed Luke one more time before releasing him and giving him a light smack on one ass cheek. "Go on, I'll be ready when you are."

Luke's smile fell away as he stepped into the bathroom and pushed the door shut. Ready to leave Noah? He didn't know if he ever would be.

~~~~

The Waynesville area, Noah told him as they left the hotel in Noah's truck, had plenty of diners to choose from. They went to a place called Jack's this time, and Luke took the opening of his uncle's name and the similarities between the two small towns to tell Noah a little about his family, and Oakdale. Noah smiled, nodded, laughed in appropriate places, and when Luke paused, Noah sighed, looking wistful.

"It sounds great," he said. "It's always been just me and Colonel Dad, ever since I can remember. He doesn't have any family left, and I don't know anything about Mom's family. I think she might have a sister."

The seed of an idea that had been planted in Luke's head had grown into a full crop by then, ripe for picking. He knew it was a pipe dream, knew it was unfair of him to even ask, but he had to do it. He couldn't just leave and go back home to Oakdale without taking the chance.

"Oakdale has a college," he said, choosing his words carefully. "I'm starting there next month. And they—" He paused before plunging ahead. "They have a film school. And they give scholarships. And my grandmother's on the board of trustees, and she's got money so she could help, like with a loan or something, and there are all sorts of places that need part-time help, and—"

"Luke." Noah interrupted him, a look of incredulity spreading across his face as he realized what Luke was saying. "You want me to … to come to Oakdale? With you?"

Luke nodded. No use hiding it now. "I want you to come to Oakdale, with me," he said. "But not _for_ me. For _you_." 

He reached out to grab Noah's hand where it sat on the table. "You don't want to enlist. You told me that. But if you stay here, you won't be able to do anything else. If you do _this_ , come to Oakdale, you can get started on something else, at least. And if it doesn't work there, if you hate it, then you can go somewhere else. But at least you'll be away from here."

Noah opened his mouth, but Luke held up his free hand. "You don't have to answer right now," he said. "I don't mean go back with me right this second. You can call the college and talk to them. Talk to your dad, if you think that might help." He squeezed Noah's hand. "Not that I'd say no if you wanted to go right now. But if nothing else, you don't want to leave Mr. Griner in the lurch."

Noah barked out a quick laugh at that. "Yeah, he can be pretty ornery when he puts his mind to it," he said. He flipped his hand so he could squeeze Luke's back. "I wasn't going to say no," he said, more softly. "I don't think I can say yes, not right now. But no matter what, Luke—thank you. Just for offering. That means more than anything else."

Luke raised an eyebrow. "I won't pretend I'm being completely altruistic," he murmured. "I'd kinda like to keep you around for purely selfish reasons, too."

Noah twisted his hand again, twined their fingers together. "Good," he said. And it was enough.

~~~~

After breakfast, they actually spent some time together, outside the hotel room, that is. Noah drove Luke up to the conservation area nearby, a lush, forested grove surrounding what was called a creek but which Luke would classify as a river. They drove through Fort Leonard Wood, Luke watching the men and women in uniform walking with purpose down the sidewalks, listening to Noah explain that this "business" area covered only a tiny part of the full base, most of which was open forest and prairie. He added that on the regular day, there'd be a lot more people around, including a lot of civilians, but since it was both Saturday and a federal holiday, only a skeleton crew would be on duty.

When Noah stopped the truck outside a small house on a side street, it took Luke a moment to figure out that this must be where Noah lived. Luke hadn't even though to ask whether Noah would get in trouble for staying out all night, but Noah answered that question.

"Dad's in DC until Monday," he said. "He got invited to do some kind of duty related to the official Fourth of July events, so of course he took it." He shrugged. "Getting to the Pentagon is always kind of the goal for a career Army man, and something like that would be a point in his favor." 

Luke nodded, not understanding it completely, but getting the part about trying to reach a goal. He did, however, smile at the part about having Noah to himself for at least one more day.

Noah opened his door. "I'm just going to go in and grab some clean clothes," he said. He gave a lopsided smile that made Luke's chest ache. 

"Do they do fireworks around here somewhere?" he asked.

Noah shrugged. "Yeah, the base does a pretty good display, with some dress maneuvers and the base band playing." He studied Luke's face. "Do you want to go?"

Luke nodded and reached over to run his fingers lightly across the top of Noah's thigh. "I know we'll have to be careful," he said. "But yeah. I want to go."

Noah smiled, stretching his hand out squeeze Luke's, and climbed out of the truck, heading toward the house. Luke didn't follow, knowing they couldn't really take that kind of risk. But his fingers itched at the thought of seeing Noah's room. Not for sex, but just to get another look inside his psyche. Noah didn't talk a lot, which didn't mean a whole lot in comparison to Luke, but Luke didn't think it would matter if he did. Luke wanted to know everything about Noah, every thought and interest and worry. He knew it really should frighten him, how much he wanted all of that, but it didn't. The only thing that made him worry at all was the idea of going back to Oakdale and never seeing Noah again.

~~~~

They stopped to pick up sandwiches for a late lunch on the way back to the hotel and sat at the small table near the window while they ate. Luke kept catching Noah staring at him, mostly at his mouth as he took a bite or, usually, as he sucked on his straw. Luke didn't comment, or smirk, or do anything to draw any attention to it. He just enjoyed it.

And when the food was gone and the empty containers in the trash, Luke wrapped his arms around Noah and kissed him. And Noah wrapped his arms around Luke and kissed him back.

They were on the bed, naked and hard, trembling against each other, when Luke got up the courage to ask for what he'd decided he wanted. He rolled them from their sides until he was half on top of Noah, and he let one hand skim down Noah's long torso, around his hip, and then down into the cleft of his ass.

"Noah," he murmured against his lips as his fingers made clear what he was asking. "Will you let me?"

Noah shuddered from head to toe, and Luke watched his face as he fought an internal battle. Luke knew the feeling. He'd done it before he got in the car to drive down here. Even after knowing he was gay since he was fourteen, after coming out to his parents and dealing with that fallout, after Kevin and Roth and Noah the first time around, back in the spring, giving himself to Noah the day before had still been a huge step. And he really didn't know how much thought Noah had given to the idea before right then.

Apparently it didn't matter. Noah's eyes opened and fixed on Luke's, dark and fierce. "Yes," he said, his voice much more firm than Luke would've expected. His next words nearly stopped Luke's heart. "I want it to be you, Luke."

Luke groaned and kissed Noah hard, fingers still stroking as Noah gradually relaxed against him. The next few minutes dissolved into a blur, Noah breathing hard, moaning as Luke prepared him, writhing under Luke's touch. When Luke finally pushed inside, sheathed and slicked, it took every ounce of willpower on the planet for him not to come immediately, between the tight heat of Noah's body and the way he looked up at him, wonder mixed in with the inevitable pain. Another few moments and inches and the pain was gone, leaving just the glow of Noah's eyes and the sounds he let out as Luke made love to him. He knew even as he thought it how cheesy that sounded, but he couldn't call this fucking any more. He just couldn't. It was too much for that.

Noah's hands never stopped moving, skimming over Luke's skin, down his arms, across his chest, around his back. They clutched at his hips, his shoulders, his biceps, finally coming to rest on his ass, fingers pressing in the soft flesh, as if trying to get Luke even closer. Luke pulled Noah's legs behind him just like Noah had done for him, but he kept his movements slow and steady, dragging things out as long as he possibly could. Finally Noah's gaze met Luke's again, and Luke saw the desperation there, a look he knew was mirrored in his own eyes. He leaned back, wrapping his hands around Noah's hips, and started pounding into him as fast as he could. Noah gasped, his head tilting back, and Luke grabbed for his cock, pumping it hard until Noah's body clenched up and come erupted from the tip in long streams. Luke shouted as the combination of Noah clamping down on him and the sight of Noah coming yanked his own climax out of him.

They ended up tangled together again, a feeling Luke already found achingly familiar. He didn't want to pressure Noah, didn't want him to feel obligated in any way, but he wanted him to come to Oakdale _so badly_. He'd felt so alone, even when he was with Roth, but Noah made him feel like he was part of something. Like they were already so meshed together that the separation would be painful for them both.

He was afraid to ask if Noah felt the same thing. He didn't know if he could stand it if he didn't.

Noah finally stirred, wincing a little, and Luke smothered a grin. He certainly knew the feeling.

"Come on," Luke said, although he didn't move away yet. "Let's get cleaned up and go watch some fireworks. If you still want to?"

Noah nodded, and a smile slowly spread across his face. "I just hope I can keep my hands off you," he said, his voice low, the vibrations rumbling into Luke's chest where they were still pressed together. The words sent a thrill through Luke, and this time he didn't hold back his smile.

~~~~

They were good in the shower and just got clean, although they did touch more than strictly necessary. _But really, who could blame us?_ Luke thought as they dried each other off, Noah catching him off guard by snapping a damp towel at Luke's bare butt. He ran out of the bathroom laughing, and Luke caught him next to the bed, tackling him onto the mattress, where they ended up wrestling and squirming and kissing and stroking and then they had to clean up again.

They finally left the room a little after seven, both of them starving, and decided to pick up some fried chicken on the way back to the base. "Classic picnic food," Luke declared, "although really, it should be day-old and cold."

They ate in Noah's truck, parked in the main base lot, talking and joking idly. Luke watched people walk by in clumps, many of them holding the hands of children, most of the small groups with at least one uniform among them. An occasional couple or single person passed them, too, but this was clearly a family-oriented event. Luke liked that, even knowing that he and Noah couldn't do anything to show they were a couple. He'd always spent the holiday with family, usually at the big cookout on the farm, and a pang hit his chest at the thought.

They'd be finished eating by now and setting up with lawn chairs and blankets on the small rise east of the house where you could see the town's fireworks display perfectly. Natalie would be bouncing around uncharacteristically, since she was usually the quiet one, but Sage would be there, and those two fed off each other like nothing else. Lily and Carly would be trying to corral the girls (but only halfheartedly), and Parker would be off to the side with his iPod on, ignoring them all. Faith would probably be trying to keep the just-walking Ethan from toddling away from the group, Meg would be holding Eliza and smiling at Ethan, and Jack would be helping Emma into her chair while she slapped at his hands and told him she didn't need his help, thankyouverymuch, she wasn't an old woman yet.

He missed them all, suddenly and with surprising strength. Even here with Noah, even as much as he loved being with him, he missed his family. He felt like a butterfly just free of its cocoon, or a baby bird leaving the nest, and he was equal parts excited and homesick. He loved traveling, loved being out on his own, and it wasn't like his family hadn't had some pretty damn big issues to deal with. It didn't matter. A big part of him still wanted to crawl into the middle of home and family and never come back out.

Noah's hand closed over his where it had stilled on the edge of his dinner box while Luke got lost in his thoughts. Luke's gaze jerked up to meet Noah's, and another pang hit his chest at the concern and tenderness he saw there.

"You okay?" Noah asked.

It took Luke a few long moments to comprehend the question, and then he nodded quickly. "Yeah," he said, his voice hoarse. "Just… thinking about home."

Noah frowned, and his hand slid away. "Do you need to go? Luke, if you need to go on back—"

"No!" Luke grabbed for Noah's hand. "I don't want to leave. I have to, tomorrow. I have to be at work on Monday. But I don't—" He shook his head. "It's all mixed up. I don't know if I can explain it. I love being here, with you. But I think maybe I need to be there." He swallowed. "And I know I said you don't have to answer now, and you don't, but I have to tell you, Noah. I really, _really_ want you to be there with me."

Noah nodded. "I… I want to go," he admitted, his voice shaky. "I don't know if I can. I don't know what it'll take. But I'm gonna try to find out, I promise. And if I can't, I'll… I won't leave you hanging, Luke. I'll make sure you know."

Luke laughed so he wouldn't cry. "You'd better," he retorted, his hand tightening on Noah's. "Because I know your last name now, and I know people who know people, and I'll hunt you down if you don't."

Noah grinned and leaned forward as if to kiss Luke, but he caught himself and snapped back at the last second. "Damn," he muttered, pulling his hand away from Luke's and running it down his face. "Maybe we should stay here in the truck to watch the fireworks. We should be able to see them okay."

Luke smiled and started clearing away the remains of their dinner. "Sounds good to me," he said. "It'll be dark by then, and maybe we can get away with, um… cuddling?"

He could feel himself blush as he said it. God, what was it about Noah that brought out all of his secret goofy romantic tendencies?

In another moment, he didn't care. Noah's hands were holding his, and he pulled Luke a little closer. Not all the way over, not with people still walking by, but he was smiling. "Cuddling sounds like a plan," he said, eyes sparkling in the dying twilight. "Maybe we can even sneak in a little kissing."

Luke grinned, but his stomach twisted at the same time. He had to leave in the morning, and despite Noah's reassurances that he wanted to come to Oakdale, he knew the reality was that they might never see each other again. That thought made his heart hurt like it was splitting in two. He'd never thought the phrase "broken heart" could be literally true, but right at that moment, he could believe it.

He pushed it all aside as much as he could. He was here with Noah now, they were going to watch the fireworks together, and then they'd go back to Luke's hotel room and have one more night. Luke would try his damnedest not to think about how it might very well be the last.

~~~~

The fireworks display was pretty impressive, Luke had to admit. They rolled down the windows so they could hear the music, and Luke jumped when he heard cannon sound during what appeared to be the big finale. He didn't know the name of the song, but he'd heard it during patriotic things like this before and knew it had something to do with the French Revolution. How it ended up being related to the American Revolution, he had no idea, except that they happened around the same time.

As soon as the last burst of color faded away, Noah unwrapped himself from around Luke, where he'd been for the past twenty minutes, and slid back behind the wheel. "Buckle up," he said as he followed his own instruction. "Let's get out of here before the rush starts."

Luke barely had his seat belt in place before Noah had the truck backing out and pointed it toward Waynesville. He drove marginally faster than he had been during the day, which he'd explained (a little sheepishly) was because he had absolutely no desire to tangle with the military police. Now, he caught Luke's look and shrugged.

"They're all back directing traffic and stuff," he said. "They'll leave us alone as long as we're not in their way."

Once they were off the base, Noah sped up a little more, still staying safely near the speed limit but enough above it that Luke could tell he was in a hurry. Luke grinned. Yeah, he knew that feeling, too. He felt pretty antsy himself. Antsy, and horny. Not that it took much to make him horny, as was the case with most eighteen-year-olds, but sitting next to Noah and knowing that in about half an hour he'd be naked in bed with him? A freaking chastity belt couldn't have held his hard-on in check.

Still, he managed to control himself until they were inside his room with the security lock on. _Then_ he pounced. And that turned out to be just fine, because Noah was pouncing right back.

Despite the feeling of urgency running through his body, Luke concentrated so he wouldn't get too ahead of himself. He didn't want this to be over quickly. He wanted to take his time, memorize every inch of Noah to take back with him, a balm against their uncertain future. He undressed Noah button by button, running his fingertips across the smooth skin of his chest, kissing along his collarbone, sliding down the zipper of his jeans slowly. Noah shuddered, his breathing loud in the quiet room, but he let Luke do what he wanted, until he had Noah naked. Noah reached for Luke then, but Luke grabbed his hands and tilted his head up to lock his gaze with Noah's, before lowering himself gently to his knees.

The groan Noah let out when Luke's mouth wrapped around his cock would echo in Luke's head for the rest of his life, he was sure. The flavor exploded across Luke's tongue, salty, musky, and male, and he groaned too, wrapping his hands around the backs of Noah's thighs to hold him in place as he sucked hard, wanting more. He felt Noah's hands slide into his hair, and he let his eyes fall shut. 

He loved this. He loved the weight of Noah on his tongue, the feel of his lips stretched a little at the corners from the thickness of him, even the way his throat tried to tighten down as he went down further. He couldn't quite get all the way, but he pulled back to swallow and draw in a breath through his nose, and then he tried again, moving slowly, carefully, focusing on relaxing his throat. When Noah's pubic hair brushed against his face, Luke had to stop himself from grinning in triumph, which would've ruined the whole thing. He almost lost it anyway just from the sounds Noah was making, most of them incoherent, but a few sounding like pleas or profanity and maybe even Luke's name.

It was over before Luke was ready. Noah's hands moved from his head to his shoulders, pushing him away, babbling something about _no_ and _stop_ that took a few seconds to penetrate Luke's consciousness. He felt a stab of fear that he'd done something wrong, gone too far, but Noah was hauling him to his feet and slamming their mouths together, and that didn't seem to be an indication that he had any kind of problem with anything Luke was doing. Luke opened for him, let Noah fuck his mouth with his tongue, hanging onto Noah's shoulders. Noah was pulling at Luke's shirt then, and he realized he was still fully clothed except his sneakers, which he'd kicked off without even thinking about it as soon as he stepped into the room. He broke away from their kiss and took a few steps back, toward the bed, watching as Noah tried to follow him with lips and then hands. Noah's eyes snapped open, and Luke waited until he focused on Luke before he yanked his t-shirt over his head, tossing it to the side and reaching down to pop the button on his jeans.

Noah watched, eyes wide and so very, very dark, as Luke peeled his jeans off slowly, trying to move as sensuously as he could. He felt kind of silly, but he must not be doing too bad of a job, because Noah never took his eyes off him, never even seemed to blink. He stepped out of his jeans and toed off his socks, and on a whim, he turned around and looked back over his shoulder at Noah as he slid his thumbs below the waistband of his boxer-briefs and started lowering them over the curve of his ass.

"Fuck. Luke." Noah's raspy voice made Luke's cock jump in the cool air of the room, but he held himself in check, keeping his movement slow and languid as he bent at the waist, spreading his legs as far as he could with his underwear now around his knees. He could just barely see Noah's face in the edges of his vision like this, and he felt incredibly exposed, ass jutting out toward Noah like an offering. Because that's what it was.

"Noah," Luke said, reaching out with one hand to brace himself on the edge of the mattress, lifting his feet just enough to get the underwear off and slung to the side. "Would you come over here and fuck me."

It wasn't a request, and they both knew it. Noah was behind Luke in a split second, hard cock riding into the cleft of Luke's ass, body draped over Luke's, now supported by both of his hands clutching the mattress. "Not gonna be gentle," Noah whispered into his ear, the sound and the words combining to make Luke shiver. "Don't think I can."

"Don't want gentle," Luke shot back. "Just want _you_."

Noah's heat moved away and Luke took the second to readjust his position, spreading his legs more, tightening his grip on the bed. He grinned as a condom packet landed on the edge of the mattress next to his hand, but it fell away when long, slick fingers probed at his entrance. "Yeah," he breathed out, moving his hips into the touch. " _In_ me, Noah."

Noah pushed two fingers inside, Luke holding back a hiss at the pinch of pain that faded into a shock of pleasure when Noah brushed over his prostate. His fingers moved quickly, skillfully, as if he had a hell of a lot more than barely a day of practice at this, and soon he had Luke fucking himself back on three fingers, voice breaking as he begged him to "fuck me, Noah, please, God, _now_."

Noah's fingers left him aching and desperate, but in moments it was his cock pushing in, sliding home in one long, slow thrust. Luke arched his back and cried out something that sounded like _yes_ in his head, although he couldn't be sure how it sounded to Noah. It seemed to be all the encouragement he needed, though, because he clamped his fingers onto Luke's hips and started fucking him. Hard, fast, angled just right, like he was inside Luke's brain and knew everything he was thinking, exactly what he wanted. Luke let his head drop, hanging loose on his neck, closing his eyes and giving his body over to Noah completely, trusting him to take care of it.

It was like Noah read his mind again. His rhythm changed, thrusts shorter and faster, and he bent over far enough that he could wrap one arm low and tight across Luke's stomach. His other hand slid into the back of Luke's hair, gripping lightly, enough to feel but not enough to really hurt. 

And he started to talk, as if something inside him flipped a switch. Or maybe something inside Luke.

"Yeah," he breathed out. "Oh fuck yeah. Jesus, Luke. You feel so fucking good. Never knew it could… ahhhhhhh… holy… shit, Luke, gonna come soon. Can't hold on, it's too much, I gotta come. Gotta—"

Luke's mind short-circuited. He barely had the brainpower left to shift his left hand, letting it take his weight and the force of Noah's thrusts so he could grab for his cock with his right. He managed all of two strokes before he came hard, almost violently, body bucking beyond his control. White lights flashed behind his eyelids, and his mouth opened as if to scream, but the sound caught in his throat. 

He felt his heels rising off the floor until he was on his toes, Noah unconsciously lifting him, burying himself deep, rotating his hips, giving Luke a few seconds of a literal screw before he gasped and jerked, falling forward again, grinding in hard and deep. Luke caught himself with both hands back on the mattress as they fell, barely kept his legs from buckling as Noah's weight landed against his back. His arms trembled as he lowered himself to his knees, Noah following, his cock slipping out as they moved, pushing a moan from Luke's mouth. They turned toward each other like magnets, curling together at the foot of the bed, boneless and sated.

~~~~

The early morning air sat around them like a shroud, heavy and damp with summer humidity. Luke told himself that was why he felt like he couldn't breathe, but he knew the truth.

He and Noah stood next to Luke's car, arms wrapped around each other, practically oblivious to anything but each other. The sun was barely up, and Luke had a long day of driving ahead of him to get back to Oakdale. The fact that not one cell of him wanted to leave wouldn't make it any easier.

They hadn't had sex again. They'd touched, and kissed, and even showered together that morning. But it was as if they knew they'd given each other the perfect memory to take away with them, and neither of them wanted to risk disturbing it with something… less.

Noah's face was buried into the crook of Luke's shoulder, his hot breath sending shivers across Luke's skin. Luke didn't know what to say that hadn't already been said. He just held on, drawing this out as long as he could, hoping and wishing.

Noah finally sighed and slipped back, leaving Luke feeling bereft. "You have to go," Noah said, his eyes showing the same sense of desolation that Luke felt. Luke just nodded and lifted one hand to Noah's face, brushing a thumb across his cheekbone.

"Take care of yourself, Noah," he said, his voice shaky. "And whatever you decide, I'll… don't worry about me, okay?" He tried to smile through the lie. "I'll be okay."

Noah choked out a semblance of a laugh. "That makes one of us," he said, and this time Luke really did smile.

"I'm not a good liar," he admitted, moving in for one last kiss.

Noah's mouth felt like everything good in the universe, his tongue one of the wonders of the world. Luke would've laughed at himself for the hyperbole his brain offered up, but he couldn't spare the energy. Everything in him focused on this moment, the feel and smell and taste of Noah, tucking it all safely into his memory so he'd never have to let it go.

He did have to let Noah go eventually. They smiled at each other one last time, and Noah touched one fingertip to Luke's nose. "Don't say goodbye," he murmured. "Say see you around."

Luke bit his lip to hold back the tears. "See you around," he parroted.

He pulled away and climbed into his car to keep himself from dragging Noah back inside to lock them both away together forever. Starting the engine, he looked out the windshield to see Noah standing there, his expression lost, like he didn't know where he was or what he was doing. Luke tore his gaze away, the pain like a living thing. He put the car into reverse and backed out carefully. He didn't allow himself to look back once, and he made it all the way to the other end of town and almost back to where his car had died back in the spring before he had to pull over.

He shuddered and scrubbed at his eyes, trying to fight back the tears that insisted on falling. He had to get it together. He had a life and a job and a family to get back to. He'd just had a summer romance, he told himself, and it felt so intense only because it had been condensed into two days. He'd get over it. He'd be just fine.

As he pulled back onto the road, headed toward home, he almost thought that, someday, he might be able to believe that.


End file.
